asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is his intention to abolish the practice of unemployment benefit being denied to female contributors who supply positive verification that they are obliged to terminate their employment for the purpose of attending to the needs of near relations who are seriously ill.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Benefit.
10.
Unemployment benefit is payable only in respect of days of unemployment. In order that a day may be treated as a day of unemployment a claimant must not merely be out of work on that day but must be capable of and available for work. This is one of the fundamental statutory conditions for the receipt of unemployment benefit. A person who is obliged to give up employment in the circumstances mentioned in the question is clearly not available for work or in a position to take a job and cannot therefore qualify for unemployment benefit.
I do not think that any change in the law would be justified.
Surely the Minister recognises the need that something should be done in a matter of this kind. Does he not feel that something should and must be done in this case? It is a case of positive verification of illness, a case of a girl who has to stay at home from work because she has to look after her sick parents who are in receipt of the old age pension and for whom no provision is made? The Minister should find some way of affording relief in such a case. Will he look into the matter?
I have a certain amount of sympathy with this case but I think it had better be done from the other end.
What do you mean by "from the other end"?
In relation to the old people, the old age pension.
If the father or mother are not in receipt of the old age pension, what happens? The girl still has to remain at home and gets no benefit. Will the Minister have another look at this?
I will have all the circumstances investigated.